1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle headliner having a flexible duct, such as a flexible air duct.
2. Background Art
Automotive headliners incorporating rigid air ducts are known in the art. Examples of rigid air ducts are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,062,635 and 6,086,145. Due to their rigid hollow structure, these air ducts can resonate and easily transmit noise, such as noise resulting from contact with adjacent objects. In addition, rigid structures can degrade audio quality in headliners that incorporate speakers, such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,555,042.
Before applicant's invention, there was a need for a vehicle headliner assembly that incorporated a flexible air duct to reduce transmission of unwanted noise and improve the performance of audio systems having speakers incorporated into the headliner assembly. Problems associated with the prior art as noted above and other problems are addressed by applicant's invention as summarized below.